Lightening Up the Dark Side of Fireworks

July 03, 2009

Every year around July 4, I look at the glittering, smoky sky and a little voice in the back of my head goes, "Hey, all that stuff is probably not so great for the environment." But who wants to be that person? Fortunately, scientists are on it and there's a flash of optimism here.

What's actually up there: Fireworks contain heavy metals that produce the bright colors, oxygen-rich perchlorates that accelerate the explosions, and they produce particle-filled smoke at the end. TreeHugger's Michael Graham Richard points out that firework-filled new year celebrations in China tripled pollution levels there. Eek.

There is debate about whether the metals in fireworks do any real damage. Science-minded folks are quick to point out that the small amounts are combusted in the sky. But it's the perchlorates that make environmentalists most nervous because at high levels they can cause thyroid problems. The EPA issued a health advisory for the compound, but is waiting on more info from National Academy of Sciences before deciding whether to regulate it.

Emily Sohn at Discovery News reports that DMD Systems, a pyrotechnic research and development company in Los Alamos, New Mexico, has developed nitrogen-based fireworks that cut out the perchlorates, require much less barium, and produce less smoke. Greener fireworks remain pricier than their traditional counterparts, but what goes up has a good chance of coming down.

Photo: Micro fireworks. Credit: Flickr user Pixel Addict.